Notebooks have increasingly become mainstream and are no longer the preserve of the travelling businessman. With this in mind, Eastpak has put together a range of notebook backpacks aimed at the urban mainstream.

The Floyd is a backpack that comes in a variety of colours – our review unit was a black and grey pinstripe but you can choose from plain single colours to blue and even orange camouflage.

The design is fairly basic with a large pocket for your personal effects and a divider for your notebook. There are three smaller pockets on the front that are ideal for small items, such as your MP3 player or wallet.

It's a compact design and considering it will fit a 17-inch notebook. When Eastpak say a 17-inch notebook, they mean a MacBook Pro, as the space is far too narrow to fit most other makes inside.

To this end, we found it a little too cramped – it proved better for machines less than 15 inches, for instance. If you get a chance, check this bag with your notebook before buying it, to avoid disappointment.

The main problem is the straps, as they are quite small and with a large notebook in tended to dig into the shoulders too much.

This is basically a day pack, for carrying your notebook to and from college, for example, so doesn't pack in a great deal of protection. We'd advice you buy a notebook sleeve to fully protect your machine.

Verdict

If you intend to use it with smaller notebooks, the Eastpak Floyd is a great lightweight rucksack for the daily commute but make sure your portable fits inside.